My Home is Where Ever You Are
by sarsar93
Summary: This is a series of snapshots that look at aspects of everyday life for Finn and Rachel Hudson in their first place as a married couple. From fights to making love, they are tethered forever. This is a series of ten. Reviews are love!
1. Chapter 1

_Part One_

Counting sheep hadn't worked. Neither had taking a bath or singing a selections from _Funny Girl _to herself, (which was very worrisome, because that ALWAYS worked at times like this). Rachel Hudson had been staring up at the ceiling of her new bedroom for several hours, and was still no closer to sleep. Sighing heavily, she turned over and faced her husband's side of the bed. Currently, it was empty.

Sitting up, Rachel ran her fingers through her long brown hair and rubbed her eyes, still puffy from crying. Instead of seeing the colorful and warm space she had envisioned when she first saw this apartment with her husband Finn, it was still an empty shell of a bedroom, filled to the ceiling with boxes yet to be opened and unpacked. According to the clock on the floor, it was 4:15 am.

Twisting her wedding ring around her finger, Rachel replayed that day over and over in her head. Today was supposed to be a celebration- it was the day they finally moved into their first place as a married couple. A place with no Santana screaming curses in Spanish at all hours of the day and night when she tripped over Rachel's elliptical, no crazy pets that Blaine would find and always bring home, and, most importantly, no Kurt barging in at the most inopportune times, (something he said was purely accidental and wouldn't happen so much if they kept their sex life confined behind a locked bedroom door- but really, both of them found that kind of limiting). No, it was finally just them.

It had taken them months to find a place big enough for both of them that they could afford on their own, which in New York City is no easy task. But with Finn's salary as a NYC firefighter and her's as the understudy to the lead in an off-Broadway production, they had found a way to make it work.

It hadn't been easy, but in the end it was well worth it. Both of them instantly fell in love with the shoebox apartment on the Lower Westside the moment they saw it. Though smaller than the place they had previously shared with Kurt, Blaine and Santana, it was an open and welcoming space with wide windows that showcased an amazing view of the city. It might not have been the best apartment in the world, but it was perfect for them.

Rachel didn't know what had happened to their joyous day. The moment Finn found out that the elevator in their building was out of order, everything started going downhill. She closed her eyes, remembering the sweat running down all their backs, Finn, Kurt, Blaine and herself. The apartment was on the 4th floor, so most of the day was spent climbing up and down the stairs with various furniture and boxes. Whether it was the heat or the fatigue, the Hudson's had gone from excited to bickering within a few hours.

It was around 5 was when Kurt and Blaine made a quick exit, making the excuse that they had promised to help Santana get ready for a date. Rachel knew that they most likely were just trying to escape the yelling and arguing that had been going on between the couple for most of the day. As soon as they started arguing about where the couch should go, (again,) Finn had had enough; throwing up his hands in frustration, Finn stormed out of the apartment.

Rachel sighed to herself again. She didn't blame him for leaving- she would have too if he had even tried ignoring her opinions and taking control of everything, as was her tendency. Resting her head on her knee, she thought of how the night was supposed to have gone- the laughing as they unpacked boxes, eating Chinese takeout on the floor, christening their new place by making love in the living room and falling asleep in each other's arms.

She knew Finn had come back- she heard him come in at about 11, but out of stubbornness, she refused to go out and apologize. Rachel Hudson, nee' Berry, was _not_ going to apologize first. Now, after hours of thinking it over, she regretted that decision. Tossing the covers off her body, Rachel slowly opened the door of their room and peeked out.

The living room, bathed in moonlight, looked just like their bedroom did. Towers of boxes took up the space, except for the TV on the floor and the couch that was pushed up against the wall. On it, Rachel spotted the lump that was her husband. Because of his immense height, half of Finn's body was hanging off the side. With his hair disheveled and a little bit of drool on his chin, Rachel softened. She could never stay mad at him for long, and that night was no exception. Especially since, she grudgingly admitted to herself, she had been the unreasonable one this time.

Tip-toeing across the floor, Rachel quickly kneeled down next to Finn's sleeping body, and gently poked him. When he didn't stir, Rachel, known for her lack of patience, poked him harder in the stomach.

Jerking awake, Finn nearly fell off the couch. With sleepy eyes, he looked around until his eyes focused on his exhausted-looking wife, fresh tears coming down her cheeks.

"I'm really sorry." She said in a small, child-like voice, shaking her head to keep from crying more. "I shouldn't hav-"

Before she could finish, Rachel found herself being pulled on top of her husband, who held her tightly.

"Me too. I shouldn't have left." He said, kissing away the tears on her cheeks.

"And I shouldn't have been so demanding," she sighed, cupping his face in her hands. "I know how controlling I can be, and taking that out on you wasn't fair." Looking into his eyes, she continued, "It's not just my home, it's _our_ home- _our_ life."

"I know, baby, it's ok. We're gonna have fights and get mad at each other sometimes, especially now that it's just the two of us." She nodded at his words, "But, I promise I'll love you forever, no matter what- even when you unleash your crazy on me without giving me a heads up."

Rachel could hear the smile in his voice as he pulled her closer. Nestling into his chest, she felt more at home than she had all day.

"I love you, too." She said, yawning.

It wasn't until the sun streamed in through the windows several hours later that Finn and Rachel realized they had spent the first night in their apartment sleeping together on the couch.


	2. Chapter 2

_Part Two_

Anyone who knows Finn Hudson also knows his love of the holidays.

Easter was awesome, especially if Kurt does is step-brotherly duty and brings over candy, since Rachel rarely keeps any in the house.

Christmas was amazing with all the snow and the lights and the presents- his mom still knitted him a scarf every year, and though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he loved those ratty things.

The 4th of July was a chance to go to the beach, see some fireworks, eat a hot dog, and enjoy the sight of Rachel in a tiny bikini- (that alone made it one of his favorite days of the year).

Finn even loved those weird little holidays that weren't even real ones- the banks have to close to make it real, right?- like Groundhog's Day and National Sibling Day. Any holiday was a chance for him to spend time with the people he loved most in the world, and any day you can do that is a pretty kick-ass day in his opinion.

Rachel was the only one who knew this, but Thanksgiving was definitely Finn's favorite. Now that they lived in New York, him and Rachel could actually go and see that parade in person, which was totally cool, (even if there were a lot of people there and he didn't really get to see those dancers with the long legs and high kicks up close). There were several football games on TV to watch literally _all day_, not to mention all the FOOD. Rachel, though a not so good cook back in her NYADA days, had actually gotten loads better, mostly thanks to Santana and her demand for quality food if Rachel insisted on cooking when they all lived together.

Thanksgiving was the best holiday ever, which was why Finn was going to be a little disappointed with this year's. Because of the money that him and Rachel had put down on the new apartment, there was no way they could afford to fly back to Lima to spend the day with their families. Neither sets of parents could fly to them, either.

It was at that moment that Rachel, never one to give up on anything, decided she was going to make this year's Thanksgiving the best one that they had ever had, even if it was just them. With Blaine in tow, they went all over town buying "supplies" the day before. Finn didn't see what they had purchased until he got home from his shift late Wednesday night, and he couldn't have been more shocked to see what had happened in his apartment while he had been gone.

The one-bedroom apartment looked like it had been robbed and replaced with somebody else's furniture. There were about 10 different types of chairs stacked off to the side- including a patio chair, a piano bench, and what looked like a stool with a short leg. In the center of the room, (where the couch and TV once sat, Finn noticed with dismay,) two fold-out picnic tables sat end-to-end. Glancing over at the kitchen, the counters weren't even visible under all the bags and pans that were stacked on top of each other. And something smelled like it was burning.

As soon as Finn was able to close his mouth that had fallen open in a moment of shock, he closed the door behind him. Rachel, hearing her husband had come home, bounced out from their bedroom.

"I'm so glad you're home!" Kissing him on the cheek, she grabbed his hand, and tugged him out of the doorway. "So, what do you think?"

"Babe, what's with all the crazy chairs? And where'd the TV go?" Looking down at his small wife, he saw her roll her eyes playfully before smacking him on the arm.

"It's in our bedroom, silly. We couldn't fit a table and chairs in here without moving the furniture out. You boys can still watch your football tomorrow from in there." Patting his cheek, Rachel raced into the kitchen. "We needed places for everyone to sit tomorrow, so Blaine and I went to a few different thrift stores and got a bunch of different ones. Plates too. We thought it would be kind of homey." Trailing behind her, Finn saw smoke billow out of the oven as she pulled out what look like a large barbeque coal.

"Darn it. I guess I shouldn't use that recipe tomorrow, huh?" Rachel sighed with a shrug. Finn, his head still spinning with all the activity in his apartment, ran his hands through his hair. Rachel was obviously trying really hard to make the next day special- the least he could do was help her out and make sure she didn't burn down the kitchen.

The next day, after going to see the parade, Finn and Rachel were joined by Kurt, Blaine and Santana to finish setting everything up for dinner. Finn thought the look on Kurt's face when he saw all the different style plates and chairs was actually pretty funny.

"What were you _thinking, _Rachel Barbra Hudson? This is Thanksgiving! Did you not read the Martha Stewart Living I gave you last week?"

Chuckling, Rachel pointed out that his boyfriend was the one to help pick everything out. With that, Kurt went on one of his rants that lasted up until Finn threatened to lock him in the bathroom for the rest of the night.

Now, after several hours of preparation, everyone was sitting around the table, waiting for Rachel and Santana to bring out the rest of the food. Finn had to admit that their apartment looked really cozy. The funky chairs and table set up added a personal touch to the festivities. The table was over-flowing with the enormous amount of food Rachel and Santana were able to make in their tiny kitchen that day- Finn swore he never had smelled anything better.

Looking up and down the table, he smiled at the faces looking back at him. Even though his mom and Burt couldn't make it, he was still happy that some of his closest friends had made the trip to see them. Quinn had come up from Boston, where she was working as a photographer. Puck and Sam had flown out together all the way from California. Rachel had even invited some friends from her off-Broadway play, and one of them was in what looked like a very intense conversation with one of his firefighter buddies.

"I hope you guys are hungry!" Rachel's voice rang out of the kitchen.

"They better be, I sweated all day in that kitchen for them." Everyone laughed as Santana walked in with a big, heaping bowl of mashed potatoes. Rachel followed right behind her, and Finn couldn't help but stare.

With her long brown hair piled on top of her head, and her face flushed from cooking, Rachel looked absolutely beautiful. She was even wearing one of those cute aprons over her green dress, which made her look so adorable. Finn grinned and stood up as Rachel placed the turkey and a small plate of tofurkey, (since she was a vegetarian,) on the table. Everyone clapped as they both took their seats, (Rachel on the piano bench, Finn on the broken stool).

"Thanks guys, this looks awesome!" Puck said with appreciation as he reached for a roll.

Finn looked over at his wife, and suddenly remembered something she had said when they were seniors at McKinley. He might not have been with his parents or in his hometown right now, but he was still home. His home was Rachel- she always had been, always would be. And he couldn't believe how lucky he was to have a wife who would go through so much trouble to make his favorite holiday the best he'd ever had.

Leaning over, Finn placed on soft kiss on her lips. With a smile, Rachel placed her hands on his face and kissed him back eagerly, despite the groans and cries of hunger that erupted from the rest of the table.


	3. Chapter 3

_Part Three_

"Oh Finn. Yes, right… there…"

Rachel knew that being all over her husband in the hallway of their building probably wasn't the best idea, but, pressed up against Finn's body, his hands literally _everywhere_, she wasn't in the best position to protest.

Well, at least they were up against _their_ door this time, Rachel thought as she wrapped her legs around his waist and sunk her hands into his hair.

Suddenly, Finn's hands were all over her shapely legs, running up and under the sinfully short dress she had worn to dinner. Locked in a searing kiss, Rachel clung to his shoulders as she felt his hands continue moving up. When his fingers brushed against her soaking panties, Finn swallowed her moan, moving his assault with his mouth down to her pulse point before she had a chance to breathe.

"F-Finn, baby. We need to, uh…" Rachel lost her train of thought as Finn's mouth worked his way down her neck and to the valley between her breasts. She could feel his smirk against her skin as he shifted her in his arms slightly and, after a bit of fumbling, (Rachel wasn't helping the process along by nibbling on his ear,) he was able to open the door of their apartment.

Giggling, Finn stumbled inside, Rachel still in his arms. Finn made a move towards the bedroom, but Rachel, tossing her hair out of her face, laughed and pointed behind them.

"We need to close the door, Finn!"

"No we don't." He replied, not stopping as he worked his free hand up her skirt again. With a breathy laugh, Rachel regretfully untangled her legs from his waist and ran over to close the door, her mussed hair streaming behind her.

With that accomplished, Rachel made quick time throwing her purse and left-over's to the ground and let her husband wrap his arms around her. Attacking her neck with his mouth once again, Finn moved his hands down her back, tugging at the zipper to the red dress she had worn that evening.

Feeling the heat grow between her legs, Rachel reached up and brought his head down to her, kissing him hungrily. With her tongue, she outlined his bottom lip and demanded entrance, which she was granted as soon as her dress hit the floor.

Standing there in just a pair of black lace underwear and matching bra, Rachel felt Finn's breathing grow shallow and hot against her neck as he moved to unclasp her bra. When it joined her dress on the floor, Rachel whimpered as Finn started lavishing her left nipple, swirling his tongue around the hard peak as she arched against him.

"Finn- oh God baby, that feels so good." Rachel, still caught up in the sensations that Finn was creating with his mouth, was somehow able to reach down and tug at his shirt. Stopping to help her, Finn shrugged off his dress shirt and allowed her to pull his undershirt over his head.

Finally, their bare chests were flush against each other as they continued feverishly kissing. As Finn grabbed hold of her butt with his strong hands, Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck, letting herself be carried into their bedroom and placed on the bed.

Standing over her, Rachel licked her lips at the sight of her half-naked husband looking at her like he was going to devour her. Being wanted in that way what such a turn-on- Finn was good at turning her into a whimpering mess before he was even inside her.

"_Touch me._" She whined wantonly as Finn gently leaned over her, his lips finally making contact with her skin. He worked his way down painfully slow, her senses ready to explode at any moment. All she needed was him inside of her- that feeling of being completely filled up and spinning out of control, only to land in a pool of ecstasy right in his arms.

Sliding back up her toned body, Rachel ran her nails over Finn's back as he paid more attention to her breasts, kneading then and taking each nipple between this thumb and forefinger, adding the barest hint of pressure. Throwing her head back, Rachel reached down between their bodies to tug on his belt.

"You are still wearing _way_ too many clothes." She moaned out. Finn got up and shucked off his pants in record time. Sitting up, Rachel tugged him back to her on the bed. Looking deep in his eyes, she whispered,

"I need you inside of me."

Laying her back down, Finn complied with her wishes; he tugged her panties off and quickly slid into her. Throwing her head back, Rachel met Finn's strong thrusts, feeling the blood rush in her veins and the heat rise within her. With each thrust, Rachel reveled in the familiar taste and tingling that ran between their bodies, knowing she would never get sick of it.

Eyes locked, Rachel tangled her legs around his waist, not allowing him to go far. Their moans mixed as they pushed each other higher and higher, working each other up until their thrusts became erratic and fast.

"Baby, you are so amazing. Come with me." Finn captured her mouth with his, wanting to be connected in every possible way. Feeling his body begin to tense, Rachel closed her eyes and felt herself reach climax, coming undone underneath her husband, who started to come as soon as she did.

Still wrapped in each other's arms, both came down from their highs. Stroking her hair, Finn looked down at his wife and kissed her forehead, her nose, her mouth.

"I love you so much."

Sighing blissfully, Rachel whispered the words back against his wet skin.

Laying in bed at that moment, Rachel felt the familiar sense of love and contentment that only being in Finn's arms could bring her. Closing her eyes, she was ready to drift off until she heard a faint rumbling. Opening one eye and peering down, Rachel realized it was her stomach. Shifting slightly in Finn's embrace, she remembered the desert that had been half-hazardly thrown into the apartment and forgotten in the midst of being wrapped up in her husband when they had gotten home.

"Baby?

"Mhmm?" Finn answered sleepily.

"I'm still hungry."

Popping one eye open, Finn looked at the woman in his arms, who currently looked wide-awake and alert despite the mind-blowing sex that had just taken place.

"Babe, seriously?" Chucking, Finn wrapped his arms tighter around his wife. "No, you aren't allowed to leave me." Smirking, Rachel pushed at his chest.

"And why not? Do you want me to starve to death?"

"I thought I fed you plenty just now, baby girl." With a sly grin that showed off his dimples, Finn pulled her close against his chest and nuzzled her neck. "Plus, you're warm." Laughing at him, Rachel untangled herself from his arms and bounded out of bed.

"I'll be right back! I'm just gonna have some of that chocolate cake we brought home!"

"Fine." He sighed dramatically, flopping back against the mattress. "If you prefer chocolate to your naked husband, go right ahead." Turning on her heal, Rachel placed her hands on her hips and playfully tilted her head, pretending to mull over his words carefully.

"Oh, but I want both." Cocking an eyebrow, Rachel smiled seductively as she saw Finn lean up on his elbows eagerly, the sheet that was covering his body falling away to reveal his smooth chest. Rachel bit her lip and stopped in the doorway, knowing full and well that the sight of her naked form would be too much for him.

"Don't you think about moving, Mr. Hudson. There's more than one thing I'm still hungry for."

"You telling me what to do, Mrs. Hudson?" Finn grinned wickedly as he slowly moved his legs over the side of the bed and stood up to his full height.

"And so what if I am?" Rachel giggled as she started taking small steps backwards towards the living room.

"Well then, I might want some desert then after all." Squealing, Rachel ran away from Finn, who, laughing just as much as her, clamored after her, grabbing her around the waist and spinning her into his arms once more.


	4. Chapter 4

_Part Four_

It surprised most people to hear that, in all the years he's known her, Finn had never seen Rachel sick.

I mean, he guessed that time she'd had tonsillitis sophomore year and freaked out about losing her voice was her, like, _sick_- but Finn had never seen her with just the flu, or even a cold. Rachel prided herself on her ability to take care of herself: she worked out regularly, took vitamins almost everyday, and ate extremely well. Rachel Hudson, nee' Berry, never, _ever,_ got sick.

Until she, well, did.

It started with a sneeze.

It was while they were in Central Park. It was a beautiful day- the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everyone, from the kids playing on the jungle gym to the hot dog venders, just seemed to be _happy_.

Finn knew he was.

He was on his first day off from the department in weeks, and for the first time in days it wasn't raining. Of course, the best part was that he was currently walking hand-in-hand with the woman he loved, who was looking extremely hot in her little blue sundress with her long brown hair curled around her shoulders. Smiling down at her, Finn couldn't help but drop a kiss on her head, earning him a giggle and a toothy-Rachel Berry grin.

Strolling through the park had become one of their favorite things to do. With all the buildings and traffic and people, it was hard to find any quiet in the New York; even though they loved living here, it was nice to find a moment of peace in their crazy, chaotic world. Central Park was_ their_ place, and, whenever they had the time, Finn and Rachel liked nothing better than putting together a picnic and spending the afternoon together under the shady oaks.

In Finn's eyes, the day couldn't be any better. It was pretty perfect, actually. Wrapping his arm around her tiny waist, Rachel sunk into him, fitting into his side perfectly.

"Where should we-we-e-e-e…."

Looking down at her, Finn watched as she let out a large sneeze, her small body shaking with the force of it.

"Bless you, bab-"

"A-CHOO!"

Finn laughed as she let out another one, bigger than the last.

"Are you ok?" Rubbing her nose, Rachel nodded.

"Probably just the pollen. I must be allergic to something out here." Stopping, Finn wrapped his other arm around his wife and brought her close to his chest.

"Want to go home?" he murmured into her ear, "We could eat our picnic in bed." Rachel laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully.

"No, let's have our picnic- _then_ we'll go home and have fun in bed."

They had their picnic- but Rachel kept sneezing. And, as they discovered as they got home, it was definitely not the park's fault.

Sitting up in bed the next morning, it was obvious that Rachel was sick. Not that she'd admit it.

"No, it is NOT possible!" Rachel said in a congested tone, "Rachel Barbra Hudson doesn't get…." Sneezing again, she finished, "….sick."

Chuckling, Finn threw his t-shirt on over his head and at the edge of their bed. "Baby, I think you are. I already called the theatre. They said to take a few days and get better."

"Finn! I have to go in! I have been working on this song-"

"Rachel, no butt's- you can barely talk!" Shaking her head vigorously, Rachel threw off the covers and made the move to get up. Finn raced over to her side in time to grab her before she fell back into bed, too weak to get up.

"Baby, I know how bad you want to go to work, but you aren't strong enough." Sighing, Finn hugged his exhausted wife, scooping her up and placing her back under the covers. Kissing her forehead, he offered to stay home from work and watch musicals all day with her.

"I'm sure the chief wouldn't mind- I can go to Zabar's and get that vegetarian soup you like so much." He offered.

"No." Sighing, Rachel leaned back against the pillows. "Go to work, I'll be fine. Go be Mr. Big Firefighter and come home to me with that soup later." Looking at Rachel, his love and affection for her surging across his face, Finn leaned down to kiss her.

"Honey, you'll get sick!" Rachel protested weakly. Pretending to think about it carefully, Rachel giggled when Finn shook his head and kissed her gently on the lips anyway.

Several hours later, Finn was sitting around the fire department's kitchen with a few of his firefighter buddies. It had been a slow day- only a few calls had come in, and Finn wasn't on any of the crews being sent out. So instead, he spent the day watching the clock and worrying about his sick wife.

Since Rachel never got sick, Finn didn't know exactly how to handle the situation. She had been texting him earlier, complaining about how bored she was and how much she missed him. She hadn't texted him back in an hour though, and he was starting to freak out a little bit.

"Dude, you ok? You look like you're gonna pass out." Josh, one of the newest members of the department, put his hand on Finn's shoulder and peered at him with a concerned look on his face. Running his hands through his hair, Finn shook his head.

"I don't know, man. My wife is at home sick and she hasn't texted me back in a little while." Standing up, Finn started pacing the room. "What if she was sleeping and fell into a coma? Or sneezed so hard she fell and hit her head on something?" Starting to panic, Finn's pace increased.

Something was definitely wrong, there was no way she was ok. The different scenarios swirled around his brain and made him sick to his stomach.

Rachel never got sick, and now she was sick. She wasn't texting him back and she _always _texted back. She was dying. Or sicker. Something was just wrong, Finn _knew_ it. Bad things come in two's, right? Well at least that's what he thought the saying was.

Amidst his freak out, Finn didn't notice the chief, his boss, walk into the kitchen. When he stopped pacing and looked at the guys, he noticed they were all looking at him with amused expressions, some of them were even laughing.

"You ok there, son?" The chief asked.

"Uh, I'm not sure, Sir." Finn rambled on about Rachel and how she was sick and how worried he was until the big man started laughing.

"Oh my, you must be newly married. Am I right, son?" Finn nodded gravely, wondering why everyone thought this was so funny. Patting him on the back, the chief chuckled. "I know how that is. I was a young married man once myself. Go home to your bride and take care of her."

Pumping his hand with the older man's, Finn must have thanked him a thousand times before grabbing his stuff and rushing out of the station, the laughs and echoes of teasing from his comrades trailing behind him. He didn't care, really. Didn't even hear them. Once he was told he could go home to be with his sick wife, he kind of just blocked everything out besides Rachel's face.

About 20 minutes later, Finn, breathing heavy and sweating like a pig, came barreling up the stairs of their building and burst through the door of their apartment. Rushing to their room, Finn stopped short.

Rachel, as it turned out, was perfectly fine. His lovely wife was curled up under the covers and snoring slightly. Her thick brown hair was pulled back in a braid, and she was wearing one of Finn's NYC Fire t-shirts, which, like all his shirts, was too big for her petite frame. Laughing at himself, Finn kicked off his shoes and sunk on the mattress next to her.

No wonder everyone was laughing at him. Shaking his head, Finn gently pulled his wife to him, curling his body against her's. Stirring slightly, Rachel started to sit up.

"Go back to sleep, baby. Everything's ok." Falling back into his embrace, Rachel instantly fell back asleep. Nuzzling her neck, Finn smiled and fell asleep soon after.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am so enjoying writing these short little Finchel stories for you all! I just want to give a shout-out to my lovely and amazing friends Nenne, Gabi, Brooke and Adrianne for encouraging me, pushing me to write, and of course beta-reading for me when I need it! Enjoy and reviews are love love love!**

_Part Five_

It was raining.

That was the first thing Rachel noticed as her eyes opened that morning. She smiled. Rainy days were her favorite. Rainy days meant using her bright pink umbrella and matching rain boots, running through New York channeling Gene Kelley in _Singing in the Rain _as the world renewed itself and became clean once more.

It was also an opportunity, Rachel knew, to stay snuggled against her husband's broad chest with his arms wrapped around her as her own personal blanket. They'd turn the radiator up and stay in their pajamas for the entire day, taking turns picking movies, (usually _Funny Girl_ and one of the _Die-Hard_ films,) while ordering take-out from their favorite Thai place around the corner.

Yes, rainy days were the absolute best in Rachel's eyes, and that day would be no exception. Shifting slightly in Finn's arms to peak at the clock on his nightstand, she saw that it was already 7:30. Rachel was usually up at around 5 to workout on her elliptical, (which her dads were sweet enough to drive up from Lima when she moved out of the NYADA dorms and into an actual apartment with Finn, Kurt, Santana, and later Blaine).

Glancing again out the window, Rachel decided to be lazy and skip it. Taking the rain as a sign from the universe, she decided to embrace the day. It was perfect really- both of them were off from work for the next two days and had nothing of pressing importance to get done.

Besides, nothing in the world could have dragged her from her warm bed and husband at that moment. With a goofy smile, Rachel snuggled close to her Finny's sleeping form and fell right back to sleep.

It was 10:00 the next time Rachel opened her eyes, and, despite her personal promise to be lazy in honor of the rain that day, her body was yelling at her to get up and have breakfast.

Regretfully, she sat up and unwrapped her body from her husband's, who was still sleeping soundly beside her. Finn always had a boyish quality to him, but he only looked like a little boy when he slept. Rachel loved to watch him: his face, usually animated with a smile and a twinkle in his eye, was relaxed. His hair, normally styled with his trade-mark "fin", was disheveled, with a few wisps stuck to his forehead. Pushing her own hair back and laughing affectionately, Rachel gently smoothed her hand over his forehead, smoothing his hair as she went. A rumble soon escaped from her stomach, breaking her from her trance and reminding her that she was starving.

With a quiet giggle, she bounded out of bed and out of their room, trying hard to let her adorable firefighter sleep in a little bit more. In the mean time, she'd make breakfast.

The window above the sink in the tiny kitchen confirmed that it was still raining. With a smile, Rachel sang to herself as she opened the fridge and started grabbing the ingredients for a delicious breakfast. Normally, neither of them had time to prepare a formal meal in the morning- she usually shared a taxi with a few friends to the theater and he was always running late for the subway, so breakfast was a meal reserved for cereal and hastily cup-up fruit.

But, rainy days were special days.

Rainy days meant eating a proper breakfast.

Rainy days meant slowing down and unwinding, something they rarely got to do amongst the craziness of their every-day lives.

Rainy days, Rachel thought again with a grin, were the _best_ days.

Still singing to herself, Rachel was busy with a pan full of scrambled eggs at the stove when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist.

"Come back to bed." She felt Finn mumble sleepily into her neck. Laughing, Rachel leaned against his chest.

"It's 10:30, lazy bones. Time to wake up and function!" Hearing him chuckle, Rachel moved the pan off the stove and turned around so that she was facing him. Lacing her arms around his neck, she started a line of gentle kisses on his chest, stopping to kiss him lazily on the lips.

"Good morning, handsome." Grinning, Finn gathered Rachel closer and took a look out the window for himself.

"Of course. You wouldn't be making breakfast or still be in your pj's if it wasn't a rainy day." Grinning back sheepishly, Rachel glanced down at her attire- a pair of Finn's boxer shorts and one of his ratty button-up henleys.

"I thought you liked it when I wore your clothes." Playing with the hairs on the back of his neck, Rachel reached up to give him one last lazy kiss before turning back to the stove. "And I made your favorite." Reaching for a plate and serving up the eggs, Rachel turned back and winked at her husband. "I even cut up those hot dogs you like and put them in your share."

"You're the best, babe."

"I know."

Laughing, the pair ate their breakfast, neither feeling the need to rush. It was a rainy day, after all. Those days were meant for absolute laziness and for each other, something both of them cherished a great deal and wouldn't want to hurry through or waste.

Breakfast was followed by their usual movie marathon. Rock-paper-scissors decided who picked first- Rachel won with paper, knowing Finn only ever threw rock, (she never knew that he did it on purpose, of course. It had become a habit and he loved her enough to let her win now and then). Thus, _Funny Girl _was put in, and Rachel snuggled against Finn's side, relishing this rare down-time together.

The day ticked by slowly from there. Their rainy day rituals were all enforced- after _Funny Girl, _(in which Rachel sang along with every song,) came Finn's _Die-Hard _choice. Sometime during this they sent out for food, staying on the couch and eating right out of the cartons. The rain continued to hit the windows of their apartment as the couple let the day slip by, savoring each and every second.

Based on the VCR clock, it was 5:00, and the credits of Rachel's second choice, _Oklahoma!, _rolled on the television screen. Stretching her arms above her head with a yawn, Rachel looked over at her husband, who looked absolutely adorable and sexy in his McKinley High Football t-shirt with the hole in the sleeve and a pair of boxer shorts similar to the ones Rachel herself was wearing. Looking outside to confirm that it was still a rainy day, Rachel grinned wickedly as she came up with an idea of how to spend the rest of the afternoon.

"Baby?"

"Mhm?" Finn answered lazily, glancing down at his wife. When he did, his eyes grew big as he noticed her hands trail down his stomach achingly slow, her touch feather-light. Her smug expression, coupled with the licking of her lips, gave away that she knew exactly what she was doing and exactly what she wanted.

Finally reaching her destination, Rachel grinned triumphantly as she felt his erection through the thin fabric of his boxers- she loved how his body reacted to her touch.

"What would you say if we did something that wasn't necessarily on our usual rainy day itinerary?" Kissing his neck, Rachel squealed as Finn gave his answer- throwing her body over his shoulder, Finn carted her off to their bedroom.

Yup- rainy days were perfect days.


	6. Chapter 6

_Part Six_

"Rachel, we're gonna be late!" Finn repeated to his wife as he fixed his tie in the mirror hanging above her dresser. "Our reservation's for 9."

"Finn, you don't have to keep telling me!" Rachel, wearing nothing but a towel, came hurrying out of the bathroom. "I know exactly what time our reservation is for- I'm the one who called the restaurant last week, remember?"

"I know, babe, but we're gonna miss it if-"

Before Finn could finish his thought, he found himself being pushed out of the room.

"Out! I need to get ready and you aren't allowed to see me till I'm completely done!" Succeeding in getting him out of the room, (mostly because Finn was too busy laughing at her to actually try and stop her,) Rachel quickly got up on her tip-toes and pecked her husband on the lips. "Give me 20 minutes, ok?"

"Ok, bu-" Before he could finish, Finn found himself talking at his bedroom door.

Chucking, Finn wandered into their living room and plopped down on the couch to wait. He would never understand why it took women- especially his wife- so long to get ready. After getting home from work, it had only taken him 15 minutes to shower, shave, and pick out a nice shirt and tie. Rachel had stormed into the apartment 10 minutes after he had and had been getting ready ever since, (if you call painting her nails and starring at the closet for a half an hour "getting ready").

Finn guessed he knew why Rachel was being so crazy about how she looked tonight. It was their one year anniversary, after all.

Finn grinned to himself- one year. _One whole year_. He still couldn't believe it. It still felt like yesterday that they'd stood in front of everyone they loved, Rachel in a big white dress and him with a goofy grin on his face, and promised to love one another for the rest of their lives. Finn leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander back.

The entire day had been this big mess of activity- keeping his groomsmen from disappearing with any of the bridesmaids before the ceremony, putting on his tux and figuring out how to tie the bowtie, making sure that Puck didn't lost the ring, finding the ring when he did lose it, getting to the alter without passing out.

With all the crazy that was going on, Finn could only remember one thing perfectly, and that was Rachel.

She looked so beautiful that day. Out of all of the best moments in his life, Finn considered the moment when Rachel came towards him down the aisle, both dad's on her arm, the best of all of them.

It was better than winning Nationals in Chicago senior year.

It was better than getting the keys to his first apartment in New York.

It was better than being told he had gotten the job at the fire department after working as a busboy for two lousy years.

'Cause Rachel, _his Rachel, _the woman who had stood by him through teen pregnancy, break-ups, stupidity, jealously, car crashes, moving, college acceptances and rejections, stupid fights, and two proposals- was finally gonna be his forever- and there wasn't a feeling in the world that matched what that feeling was and would forever be to him. Nothing.

Turning around in his seat, Finn took in the wall of pictures that dominated the biggest wall in the apartment. Rachel had been really persistent about putting them all up. The day after all their boxes had been unpacked, Finn found her, still in her moving over-alls and pig-tails, hammering nails into the wall- something the landlord had said _not_ to do- actually, he was pretty sure there was something in the lease about it.

Not that being told _not _to do something had ever stopped Rachel Hudson.

Shaking his head at the memory, Finn was kinda glad she had pushed the issue at the time. Every picture was a memory, and it was nice to see the happy faces shining out on them everyday.

There were some from their time at McKinley- like the New Directions in the choir room and their Senior Prom picture, still in the bright pink frame Rachel had put it in back then.

Then there were the others- snapshots of their new life in New York: Rachel, Kurt and Santana striking a pose in their first apartment; Kurt picking Blaine up from the airport for Blaine's first visit during his senior year; Rachel and Santana cocking toothy grins in front of the Statue of Liberty; all of them, Blaine, Kurt, Santana, Rach and himself, crammed onto the couch on their last night all living together before he and Rachel had moved out.

Those were all great- but his favorites were still the cluster in the middle- the ones that were just of the two of them.

Like the one of them dancing on their wedding day- Rachel's hair swept up to reveal her happy and flushed face and his lack of coordination covered by the look of love on his.

There was the one of them on the day they graduated from McKinley, posing in their red cap and gowns, with Rachel giving him a kiss on the cheek.

And then there was Finn's favorite.

It had been taken with a disposable camera after they'd made love for the first time in their new place. It was just of their faces- both of them were laughing and flushed. It wasn't the best quality really-half of his face was cut out of it and it was a little blurry- but it was special. It captured a moment in time that really showed how happy they were and how excited they were just to be _together_.

But, then again, that's how it was everyday.

"Alright, I'm ready."

Finn snapped out of his memories and turned around.

"Uh, _wow."_

Rachel giggled, twirling in place. The extra time spent getting ready had been well worth it; Finn couldn't help but stare at her. The outfit she'd chosen- a red dress with a skirt that fanned out when she moved- played up his favorite part of her body, (her very shapely legs,) which currently looked like they went for miles, ending in a pair of dangerously high strappy heels.

Stumbling upright, Finn made his way over to Rachel, a mischievous grin growing on his face. Leaning down, Finn whispered in his wife's ear,

"Well, Mrs. Hudson," his hands running up and down her back, "did you do all this for me?" Finn felt himself harden as she shivered in his arms. Placing a kiss under her ear, he slowly trailed more down her face, stopping at her lips. Gently, he tangled his tongue with her's, feeling her moan travel up his spine. Finn, deepening the kiss, picked Rachel up, her arms twisting around his neck in a warm embrace.

After a few moments, Rachel pulled back and broke the searing kiss. Taking her in again, Finn noticed with satisfaction that she was deeply flushed and breathing deeply, her eyes filled with lust.

"Baby, we have a reservation." She murmured.

Playing with the zipper on the back of her dress, Finn tightened his grip.

"I'm not so hungry anymore." He stared into her eyes intently, his free hand working its way up her skirt. "What about you, baby girl?"

"Oh yes," Rachel moved against her husband, her head falling back. His hand spent some time teasing, running up and down her thighs. Once he reached the lace of her panties though, Rachel pulled back abruptly. Finn, wearing a confused expression and a prominent erection, blinked as his wife jumped out of his arms.

"Finn Hudson, I made that reservation days ago, and it took me 2 hours to get ready- I am not wasting it by taking this dress off 5 minutes after I put it on." Running her hands through her hair and straightening her dress, Rachel turned around to face him, her hands on her hips and her face determined. "We are _going_ to our anniversary dinner and that's that!"

"But-"

"No butt's!" Grabbing her purse, Rachel let herself laugh at the sight of Finn in such a disheveled state. Walking up to him, she took a second to straighten his tie and smooth out his hair, a little messy from her hands tugging on it moments before. With that accomplished, Rachel reached up and kissed him chastely on the lips, giving him a little wink as she grabbed his hand and started for the door.

"Come on, sweetie. Can't have dessert until after dinner, right?"

Finn groaned and trailed after her, wondering how in the hell he was gonna make it through the next two hours without jumping his wife over the dinner table.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Another shout-out to Brooke, Nenne and Gabi for being amazing, letting me bounce ideas off of them, and beta-reading, of course! 3**

_Part Seven_

"Finn, I don't understand why you're being like this!" Rachel, exasperated, looked up at him with confusion and hurt. "We're _married- _you're supposed to trust me."

"Well, I trusted you once and you hooked up with Puck, so tell me that I'm wrong!"

The apartment got very still, and Finn instantly wished he could take it back.

Mentally kicking himself, Finn rushed forward and reached for her hands, which were instantly snatched back. Her face was twisted with anger, but her eyes- which had grown big and shined with tears- showed how much his comment hurt.

"I can't _believe _you're bringing that up." Her voice was barely above a whisper, her tiny body shaking from rage or sadness, Finn couldn't decide which. "You _know _I'd never do that to you again. How_ dare_ you, Finn Hudson."

Finn watched as Rachel moved as far as she could away from him, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Rachel- I didn't mean it." Finn desperately reached for her again. "It's _him _I don't trust, not you!"

Once he reached her, Rachel instantly pushed him back, hard.

"Don't touch me!"

"Rach, come on-"

"No! I can't believe we're _still _dealing with this bullshit! _We aren't in high school anymore, Finn_!"

"No, we are in the big city where there are guys who have full permission to touch your ass or kiss you, even though you're married!" Finn's anger grew just thinking about what he'd seen at her dress rehearsal earlier.

He hadn't planned on going to watch her rehearse, but the chief had let him go home early, and he hadn't seen her since the night before, and he just missed her. Plus he never passed up an opportunity to hear Rachel sing.

Entering the theater, the first thing he saw was Rachel on stage, singing through the song she'd been working on for weeks, and Finn felt himself glow with pride as he snuck into the auditorium and watched.

The feeling quickly faded away though as a new actor came out and joined her, and instantly Finn saw red.

Because this guy, this _asshole_, was reaching for his wife, and was kissing her on the neck.

Needless to say, Rachel was just as surprised to find her pissed off husband pacing in her dressing room an hour later.

"Well, guess what? I'm an actress, so with everything I do there is a chance I'll have to kiss someone else or act romantic with someone that isn't you. And I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry!" Almost shouting at this point, Rachel barreled on, pointing a finger accusingly at him. "I love what I do. I'm good at it. I am not going to apologize for doing my job!"

"I know that! But that Jacob kid-"

"Finn, when will you get it through your thick head? I love _you_, not some actor who I've been working with for two weeks!" Breathing heavily, Rachel dropped her hands.

Silence engulfed the tiny apartment again as they both stared at each other. Shaking her head once again, Rachel rubbed her eyes before she spoke.

"Ok, you have two options here, Finn Hudson." Walking up to him, Rachel reached up and pulled his face down to her, forcing him to focus on what she was saying.

"One- you grow up and realize that I meant what I said on our wedding day- _realize_ that I mean it every time I kiss you. And hold your hand. And have you inside me." Finn could barely breathe- Rachel's brown eyes were burning with an intensity that he rarely saw- an intensity he knew was reserved for when Rachel Berry was _fighting_ for something, and had no intention of giving up or losing.

Literally a whisper away from his face, Rachel swallowed thickly. "I am _yours, _andno one else's."

Tears started to fall down her cheeks, but her voice remained strong. "Option two- if you can't or won't see that- then stop coming to my plays. In fact, stop coming home, because obviously you don't trust me and I don't know what to do with a husband who doesn't trust me." Pushing him back, Rachel marched towards their bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Frustrated, Finn groaned as he fell back on the couch. He ran is hands through his hair and tried rubbing the exhaustion off his face. He didn't need anyone to tell him that he'd fucked up big time- he knew it, just as much as he knew that Rachel was right.

Of course he trusted Rachel. Of course he knew that she loved him.

He never did doubt that, no matter what he'd said about Puck or anything else.

It was just, seeingthe way that Jacob jerk _looked _at her- like she was this piece of ass. Seeing him kiss the love of his life, hold her close like that…..Like he had the _right _to do that. It made Finn's blood boil just to think about it.

But none of that was on Rachel, Finn knew, deflating. It took a pretty big person to admit when they were wrong, and Finn knew that not only had he been wrong, he'd been pretty damn unreasonable.

Glancing at his closed bedroom door, Finn wondered how he was gonna make this better. He hadn't seen Rachel that upset in a really long time, and knowing that he was the one to cause it made his heart hurt and his stomach ache.

Standing up, he made his way over to the door and stopped. Should he knock? Just go in? It is his bedroom, after all.

Leaning down, Finn listened for any signs of movement from the inside. It was silent except for the occasional sniffle, which meant she'd finally stopped crying.

Taking a deep breath, Finn lightly knocked on the door, waiting for permission to come in. Holding his breath for what seemed like hours, he let out a sigh of relief when he faintly heard Rachel's, "Come in."

Cautiously, Finn opened the door and looked around the room, his heart breaking even more when his eyes fell on his wife, who was curled up in a ball on their bed. Having taken off the clothes she's worn to rehearsal, Rachel was in a pair of shorts and the t-shirt that smelled like her dad's, her eyes were still red and puffy from crying. She looked more like a little girl who's fallen off her bike than a grown woman who'd just shouted at her husband for his stupidity.

"Rach?" Finn asked softly, keeping his position in the open doorway.

Sitting up, Rachel pulled her hair back and looked up at him with weary eyes, leaving it up to him to say something.

"Rach, I just wanted to say that I was wrong. And that I'm an idiot. A big one." Finn looked over at his wife again, but she was still just starring at him, waiting for him to finish. Sighing, Finn shuffled his feet, feeling like he was back in high school again.

"I trust you, I really do. There's no one in this world you I trust more, I swear. I know I put my foot in my mouth a couple times tonight-" Finn took it as a good sign when Rachel snorted. "-and I know I made a jackass out of myself. And I'm sorry."

Holding his breath for the second time that night, Finn waited for Rachel to say or do something. Seeing her deflate in front of him, he wanted to cry when she asked in a child-like voice, "So you do trust me then?"

Rushing up to the bed and gathering her close, Finn wanted to kick himself again for making his wife feel this way. "Of course I trust you." Stroking her hair, Finn let her cry again. "I am so sorry, Baby. I should never have said that thing about Puck. I was out of line and I didn't mean it."

At this point Rachel's body was racking with sobs, and it took everything Finn had not to cry, too. "I'm so sorry to have made you feel this bad, Rachel. I love you so much. Please don't cry."

Holding her tight, her body seated in his lap and her arms clinging to him, Finn let her cry herself out. After a few more minutes, Rachel breathed deeply.

"I love you, too. You know that right?"

Pulling back, Finn cupped her face in his hands, brushing her stray tears away with his thumb. Finn leaned in and started laying small, gentle kisses around her face, whispering how much he loved her with every kiss, until finally he found her lips and pulled her close, never wanting to let her go.

Pulling back, Rachel closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his. "I said yes to two proposals for a reason, you know."

Heart swelling, Finn pulled her close again and gently flipped her on her back. Lifting up her shirt, he started trailing kisses on her stomach, promising himself to never get to so crazy again.

Because _this _part of Rachel was reserved just for him, and as she ran her fingers through his hair and softly moaned his name, Finn smiled for the first time all night.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Wow! I can't believe the reviews I'm getting for this story! Thank you so so much to those of you who have been reading faithfully and leaving reviews- they seriously make my day and keep me writing! Again, special shout-outs to my lovely friends for their encouragement- Brooke, Nenne and Gabi! Love you guys! Xoxo **

_Part Eight_

Rachel Barbra Hudson knew she had many things in life to be happy about.

First of all, she was living in the best city in the entire world, where just walking around someplace like Times Square was comparable to strolling through the Milky Way, (which was extremely appropriate considering Rachel herself was indeed a star in her own right).

Her closest friends lived literally a subway or taxi cab ride away, always available if she needed to talk, or just give in to her karaoke addiction. Santana, Kurt, and Blaine weren't just her best friends- they were her NYC Family, and she couldn't have asked for a better one.

And of course, there was her husband. Her Finn.

If she had been told back in high school where she and Finn would eventually end up- living in a shoebox apartment in New York City, married and completely in love- she would have laughed.

Those were the dreams of a little girl, surely. No one got everything they ever wanted- which was affirmed and reaffirmed to her countless times back then.

But here they were. And Rachel couldn't believe how lucky she was. How lucky _they_ were.

Of course, there was also performing. Out of everything she had, her talent was something that she never doubted, something she'd hung her hat on when the rest of her life seemed bleak and unclear. There were few feelings greater, and no better high.

She was a _performer, _through and through.

Which was why tonight was so amazing, so wonderful, so gratifying.

Leaning into her husband's side, Rachel couldn't suppress her excitement. Every inch of her body was filled with energy- her feet were bouncing, her fingers taping, her hips moving to the music in her head. Her face was the give-away though- Rachel hadn't stopped smiling since the curtain went down two hours before.

Opening the door to their apartment, Finn let go of Rachel's waist in order to grab the three arrangements of flowers he'd insisted on bringing her. Rachel had gently scolded him when he had surprised her with the immense amount of roses and lilies after the show, but secretly she loved that he'd gone through so much trouble, and wasted no time burying her face in them.

"I think tonight is officially the best night of my life." Twirling into the apartment, Rachel giggled as she spread her arms wide and spun in circles, her dress fluttering out and her heart exploding with happiness.

Running her hands through her hair, she glanced back at her husband, who was casually leaning against the closed door of their apartment, loosening his tie and looking at her with amusement.

"What?" She asked breathily, her heart beating in her ears and her face flushed.

"You were amazing tonight, you know." He repeated for the hundredth time, pushing off the door as he threw off his jacket. "I've never heard you sing better."

"Honestly?"

Pulling her against his chest slowly, his signature smirk appearing on his face, he nodded, bending down to give her a lazy kiss.

Pulling back, Rachel snuggled against his chest, sighing contently. It really had been the best night.

Closing her eyes, she remembered the feeling of being taken over, an intense fire filling her to the brim and escaping out of every pour as soon as she stepped on that stage. Singing in front of a packed audience, every sense and every nerve alive with electricity- it was addicting.

"I always knew you would be a star- you always have been." Rachel wrapped her arms tighter around her husband as he murmured the words into her hair. Lifting her head off his chest, Rachel reached up on her tip-toes and whispered how much she loved him before pulling his face to her's.

Finn caressed her back, moving his lips down her neck, the wet trail made by his tongue causing her to shiver. Breath hitching, Rachel instantly went for his shirt, fumbling with the buttons as he worked on leaving a mark on her collarbone.

Moaning his name, Rachel shucked Finn's shirt off, throwing it aside as she took in his bare chest. Arching into him, Rachel slowly grazed her fingernails down his stomach, smirking seductively as she felt his body's reaction against her thigh. Continuing moving her hands down, Rachel slowly sank to the ground, dragging her husband's pants with her.

Before she could perform similar treatment to his boxers, Finn quickly fell to the floor next to her and roughly recaptured her mouth with his.

"Baby, what are you doing?" She mumbled against his face as his hands found the tie on the back of her dress and yanked it open. Pulling back, Finn's eyes never left her face as he pulled down her dress slowly, revealing her lack of bra.

"It's your night, baby girl." Tilting his head down, he took her nipple into his mouth, causing her head to fall back and her hands to sink into his hair. "I'm supposed to be treating you." Rachel couldn't help but tremble in his arms, his words leaving invisible marks across her skin.

Still lavishing her breast, Finn expertly used his arms to scoop Rachel up and onto her back, sliding her dress and panties down and throwing them behind him.

Under the intense gaze of her husband, Rachel mewed as her body squirmed and yearned for his touch. She was rendered helpless in her wanton state, and nothing could sedate her but the feel of her husband's hands on her skin and his body thrusting into her's.

Finally, he settled in between her legs, letting himself be pulled hungrily to her mouth. Tongues meeting, Rachel almost screamed as she felt her husband's hand move up her leg, causing her to swivel impatiently underneath his body, his hips pinning her to the floor.

When his hand reached her dripping center, it took everything she had not to scream. Finn kept his touch light and teasing, grazing her folds with the barest hint of pressure, enough for her body to arch off the floor.

"Finn, please…" Giving in to her burning ache, Rachel whimpered as she felt her husband smirk against her breast. Rachel moaned his name again as he finally slipped a finger inside of her, using his thumb to rub tight circles on her clit. Using his hand to continue his torture, Finn crashed his lips down on her's again, mirroring the twisting of their tongues with the movements of his fingers.

It wasn't long before Rachel found herself coming undone, her cries of pleasure muffled by Finn's mouth.

Before she had a chance to come down from her high, Finn moved his hands back down her legs, lifting them in order to bring her body closer to his now painfully hard erection. Releasing her mouth, Finn bore into her eyes and swiftly entered her.

Grabbing at his back, Rachel bit down on his shoulder as she felt him fill her completely. Each thrust they moved together, Rachel clutching his body to her. Their sounds of pleasure filled the quiet apartment, the fire inside both of them bringing them closer and closer to the edge.

Finn let go of her leg and reached for her hands, entwining his fingers with her's as he stretched their arms above her head. Rachel felt herself starting to unravel when she felt Finn whisper in her ear.

"You're my everything, baby. My bright gold star." Rachel forced her eyes open, despite the intensity of the sensations, and locked eyes with her husband as he brought her over the edge with his words. Moaning his name, Rachel watched as Finn followed soon after.

Suddenly the apartment was very still, their bodies still joined on the floor of the living room. Shifting slightly, Finn swept Rachel's hair out of her face as he looked down at her, smiling.

"Congrats, babe." Rachel giggled again as he kissed her nose. "How does that feel compared to being on the stage?" Rachel shivered against him as he murmured his question into her ear. Leaning back to look up at him, Rachel smiled, tracing her fingers along the contours of his face.

"Well, let's just say they're two feelings I will _never_ get sick of."

Chuckling, the pair snuggled close together and fell asleep, not even bothering to get up off the floor.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Oh my guys, only two parts left! I'm a little sad about it but I'm also very excited to finish My Home is Where Ever You Are and start my next fic- I think you all are gonna like it! Anyway, I hope you like Part Nine- I was a wreck while writing it. **

**Another shout out to my loves- Nenne and Gabi, and a special shout-out to my twin, Brooke! Thank you for everything you guys do!**

_Part Nine_

Everything hurt.

His legs. His arms. His back. Places inside he never knew he had.

Everything.

He hurt so much that he could barely see straight.

Finn gripped the railing of the stairwell, closing his eyes to stop the world from spinning. What he saw behind his eyelids was almost as bad, if not more painful. Hunching over, Finn let the visions of smoke and fire fill his head, forcing him to catch his breath and lower himself onto the steps.

That was better. Who cared if he was sitting on the stairs of his building at 3 in the morning? Not him. No, he needed to _breathe_. To somehow stop the pain that was vibrating up and down his body and causing him to shake from the force of it. He needed to stop feeling unbearably _hot, _or at least forget the memory of it, and of the sweat that rolled down his face as he ran inside the building.

Funny, to Finn it looked more like a campfire than a building.

Taking deep breathes, Finn allowed himself to push the memories away and open his eyes. The world wasn't spinning anymore. From his spot on the stairs, Finn looked down the hall to his apartment, 4F. He knew Rachel was in there. _God_, he needed to see her.

Hoisting up his 6'3 frame, he made his way down the hallway, the light shining out from under the door to the apartment serving as his beacon; otherwise, he would have probably walked into a wall or tried opening the door to another apartment- he was honestly that tired.

He didn't have any idea how he'd managed to get home at all, really.

Stopping outside the door, Finn let his bag drop to the floor and ran his hands over his face and hair. He knew he looked like shit- he hadn't showered or slept in days, and his skin was coated with ash. Coupled with a slight limp and haunted eyes, Finn knew instantly that he'd never looked or felt worse in his entire life.

Keys hanging loosely in his hand, he stiffened his posture, bracing himself- it would be the first time he'd seen Rachel in almost 3 days, and he didn't want her to see him the way he saw himself at that moment- broken, sad, agonized.

He didn't want to scare her as much as he was scaring himself.

Before he got a chance to finish pulling himself together, he was hit with a glare of light that made him squint. Surprised, Finn felt a hand grab the front of his shirt and yank him forward. Stumbling inside, he barely had an opportunity to steady himself before he was thrust back. Looking down, he almost laughed at the sight of Rachel clinging to him, her arms and legs wrapped around him tightly.

For the first time in days Finn felt the weight that was sitting on his chest lift a little bit, the burden shifting with the feel of his wife's touch. Relaxing, Finn let himself bury his face in her hair, her smell and her touch and her _everything_ driving the visions and the hurt away for that instant.

"Finn I can't believe it I have been worried sick and I can't believe you're ok!" Finn adjusted his attention to what his wife was saying, her muffled words spilling over each other. "I saw all about it on the news and Kurt said that you'd be fine and I should have listened but I haven't been able to _breathe _for 3 days and when the news reported that one of the firemen died I thought- I thought…."

Finn, his arms already shaking from the exertion of holding Rachel with his aching arms, felt himself loose grip as Rachel's body started shaking and her voice wavering voice trailing into silence.

Abruptly, she jerked back, and Finn was able to really look at her for the first time in days. He was pretty damn shocked to see that she looked almost as bad as he did.

Wearing nothing but one of his t-shirts, Rachel looked like she hadn't slept or had anything to eat since Finn had been gone. With her mussed hair hanging half-hazardly around her shoulders, Finn felt his heart clench looking at her face. Instead of seeing the bright and fresh face of the woman he married, he saw someone who looked years older, her eyes, red and puffy, twice their normal size. At that moment she was also wearing a look of pure _rage_, her beautiful face twisted with a snarl.

"What is _wrong_ with you, Finn Christopher Hudson!" Eyes blazing, Rachel began to hit him on the chest repeatedly, striking him with her small fists. "Why on earth did you decide to be a _firefighter_? Do you have some sort of _death wish_? Or are you trying to kill me?"

Shoving him back against the door, Finn's eyes grew wide at the sight of Rachel freaking out on him- he'd _never_ seen her that angry.

"I have been worried _sick_ about you, and you don't call or text _once_. Not even once! And I called the station and they wouldn't tell me what was happening and then I saw on the news that one of the firemen _died_ and you weren't answering me back. You could have _died_, Finn! You could have actually died!" Finn was finally able to grab her wrists, stopping her from pounding at his chest more. He watched as the snarl quickly fell from her face, her body sagging. A single tear fell down her cheek.

"_I thought you died."_

Finn numbly let his wife rush into his arms again, her body trembling. He shut his eyes tight as he held her- he needed to be strong for Rachel. He couldn't break down. He didn't get to do that. _He needed to hold it together._

It wasn't like he was the one to die in the fire- he didn't have the _right_ to be upset.

Stroking Rachel's hair, he faintly heard her whisper into his chest.

"Did you know the person who died?"

"Uh, yeah. It was Josh." Clearing his throat, Finn pulled back from his wife and moved across the room, knowing that if he looked at her face right now he'd collapse- and he couldn't do that.

"I'm so sorry, baby." Rachel made her way across the room, tentatively putting her hand on his arm. "He was a good man. I know how much you liked him."

Finn nodded, afraid to speak.

"Finn. Baby, look at me."

Finn kept his eyes on the floor, his arms folded.

"I'm fine, Rachel. I'm fine. I'm alive, I'm fine, really. I'm fine." Rachel moved closer and closer to him, her own heart breaking at the sight of her husband cracking under the sadness he wouldn't let himself feel.

"Finn." Rachel gently cupped his chin, her other arm hovering over his heart. "It's ok to be upset. He was your friend. You're _allowed_ to feel the loss. _It's ok_."

"Rachel, I'm fine."

"No you're not."

Shaking his head, tears falling down his cheeks, Finn felt himself crack. All of the emotions that had been swirling under the surface, all the pain and the anguish, suddenly came bubbling up and he couldn't push them down anymore. He was too tired. He was too hurt.

Shaking, he let Rachel guide him to the couch. Finn dissolved in her arms, _really_ getting it out, finally mourning.

They sat there for what felt like hours. Finn let himself feel it- the pain of loosing his friend, the hollowness that came with watching a building burn to ash, the sadness that was reflected through-out his unit- as Rachel stroked his hair and make soothing sounds. His head resting on her stomach, Finn eventually drifted off to sleep, smoke-filled images dying away.

When he woke up the next afternoon, he was still in Rachel's arms.

And, as she smiled down at him, Finn knew she hadn't moved all night.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Oh my, I can't believe this fic is over! I loved writing it so much- it really opened me back up to writing and connected me with amazing people. I wish I could write more, and I might add to it in the future, but there are so many other ideas I have and can't wait to start! Check back with my Tumblr (faithfullyshippingfinchel) to see snippets and updates about my next fic- I think you all are gonna like it! **

**As always, shout-outs are in order to my lovelies- Brooke, Nenne, Gabi, and Adrianne. You girls were so amazing to me and I will never forget it. I love you more than words can say! **

**Also, a big thank you to those of you who kept reading and reviewing this story. You're all truly amazing, and I am so humbled. Thank you!**

_Part Ten_

She was going to kill him. Rachel Hudson was actually going to kill that pathetic excuse for a human being. Groaning, she contemplated how she would do it- that is, if she didn't end up dying first.

Rachel sat on the cold linoleum floor, her head resting against the closed lid of a toilet seat. At that moment she didn't care that she was sitting on a germ-infested floor, or that she was in a _public_ restroom, which she never really liked to use because, let's face it, those things are _disgusting_.

She was dying- and it was all _his_ fault.

She'd just been minding her own business during rehearsal, sipping her coffee and bracing herself for a love scene between her and her new co-star.

Her stomach turned again just thinking about his weasely face.

The man was completely inept. He never learned his lines in time for rehearsal, he showed up late more often than not, and he was sleeping with half the cast and most likely the director too, (which was the only reason in Rachel's mind that such a fool could land the lead in a Broadway musical). He considered himself quite the charmer, too, and had even tried hitting on her a few times, (something she put to bed quickly with a flash of her wedding ring and the assurance that her husband was a NYC firefighter and was perfectly capable of making him feel pain if he ever even _looked_ at her off-stage). But Rachel Hudson was nothing if not a professional, and she was absolutely capable of acting alongside such a Neanderthal if she had to.

If only said co-star hadn't eaten something that smelled a lot like rotten eggs and fish sticks for lunch that day.

The moment his face dipped close to her's before the scene to ask whether or not she had her sheet music on hand, her stomach clenched and turned over. Clutching her hands over her mouth, Rachel rushed off the stage, letting her sheet music and coffee fall to the floor behind her.

Opening her eyes, Rachel slowly sat up, unfolding her body from its previous position on the floor. Taking a deep breath, she waited for the feeling of nausea to take over again; thankfully, she felt nothing. Rachel leaned her head against the stall, sighing as she shut her eyes again.

Something was wrong with her. It was a very rare occurrence when Rachel got sick, but this was the third time that week that she had found herself curled around the toilet. It was probably the stomach flu, she knew, bracing herself as she stood up, her legs shaky from being on the floor for so long. Reaching down for her phone, Rachel saw that she'd been holed up in that stall for 45 minutes.

Mentally kicking herself, Rachel quickly gathered her things and stepped out. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed her fears about that mess that her hair had become. She felt herself groan again as she threw her mass of tangles into a hasty ponytail and splashed water in her face, letting the chill wake her up. She couldn't believe she was so tired- it wasn't even noon yet.

Returning to the stage, Rachel instantly felt better. There was nothing like stepping onto a real Broadway stage to make everything else disappear and the world to right itself. She'd discovered this at the age of seventeen, and the feeling had yet to grow old or fade for her.

Rachel noticed that her music had been stacked neatly on her chair off-stage, and sighed with relief when she noticed the cast was still on lunch break. Sinking into her chair, Rachel smiled gratefully at the producer who walked up to her and handed her a bottle of water.

"Thanks, Cheri. I don't know what's wrong with me this week."

Smiling back, the older woman patted Rachel on the shoulder, telling her to go home. Before she could protest, Cheri gently put her foot down.

"Rachel sweetie, this is no the first time you've been sick this week." Rachel deflated slightly, nodding at her words. "You need to go home and figure out what's happening. I don't know if it's the flu or if you're pregnant or what, but you need to rest. Opening night is in two weeks."

Rachel numbly watched as the producer walked away, her body frozen to the chair. Staring off into the empty auditorium, she tried to remember the last time she'd had her period. Five weeks? Six? Grabbing her purse, Rachel saw she still had a full pack of undisturbed tampons lying inside. She hadn't reached for them at all in the last month.

Rachel barely felt herself leave the theatre, her body moving without permission. Her mind was too busy racing to make basic decisions like whether or not get her coat from her dressing room or to remember to tell the director she was leaving.

All she could focus on was the tiny bottle of pills sitting in her bathroom cabinet at that moment. They were usually on the bedside table, perched next to the alarm clock and an array of pictures of her and Finn that she liked seeing when she first woke up in the morning. She took them first thing, before she brushed her teeth or even got out of bed. Why were they in the bathroom? How could they be stowed away, easily forgotten in the chaos of the mornings?

Rachel knew that moving her birth control pills hadn't been a conscious decision- she'd probably forgotten they were in her hand and placed them on the counter one day. And then Finn might have then put them in the cabinet, knowing how she preferred to keep things tidy. Rachel couldn't bring herself to laugh at how _careful_ her husband was to make her happy.

She was supposed to be careful, too.

An hour later, Rachel found herself sitting cross-legged on her bed, a pregnancy test resting in her hands. _How'd they get here? _They had only been married for a little over a year. Finn was working long hours at the station; she was at rehearsals day and night for her first Broadway production. They were in no way ready for kids- there was barely enough room for the two of them in their shoe-box in the city.

Rachel couldn't bring herself to open the test. She wasn't ready. She couldn't do this by herself. Looking at the clock, she knew Finn would be going on lunch soon. Rachel felt bad tearing him away from work for something like this, especially since she might just be over-reacting like usual, but she knew without a doubt that she couldn't find out about this on her own. She needed her husband. She needed him _now_.

She dialed his cell number and held her breath, praying he wasn't somewhere fighting a fire. No one else could need him right now as much as she did. Shaking her head, she instantly felt bad for thinking such a thought, but she was starting to panic, so she forgave herself.

"Hey baby, what's up? I've missed you today."

Silently relieved, Rachel let out the breath she was holding. "Hi. I miss you, too."

"Are you on break, too? Want to get lunch? We could go to that place on thirt-"

"Finn." Cutting him off, Rachel felt herself start to shake. "I need you to come home. Now."

"Rachel, what's wrong?"

Rachel shut her eyes, feeling the concern in her husband's voice. He knew her better than anyone else in the world. Of course he's going to know when she was upset.

"I don't know yet. I just- I need you to come to the apartment."

"But Rach-"

"Finn, please. I need you."

Silence filled the phone line. Rachel prayed that he didn't demand an explanation on the phone- she didn't think she could say it out loud yet.

"Ok babe, I'm coming. I'll be there as fast as I can. Ok?"

"Ok."

Ending the call, Rachel leaned back on the bed, letting the unopened pregnancy test fall to the side. Rachel stared up at the ceiling, and without realizing it guided her hands down to her stomach.

_What if there was a baby in there?_

The thought intruded, despite her best efforts to push it away. Breathing heavily, Rachel sat up, her head falling into her hands. _Could she actually do this? Could they? _

Though the panic was still there, Rachel suddenly felt herself relax slightly, her mind wandering.

She could she herself getting bigger, painting a nursery in pretty pastels, Finn kissing her belly and singing classic rock to the bump.

She saw a wrinkly little thing, wrapped in a soft blanket, with big brown eyes and dimples, just like his father.

Rachel didn't notice the smile that had started to grow on her face at the thought of a little boy that looked just like her Finn. A clear picture was forming in her mind, and now that it was there, the picture didn't scare her as much as she thought it would.

Rachel touched her stomach again, this time caressing the area softly.

"Anybody in there?" She whispered, feeling a little silly. Pushing her hair back, Rachel gazed down, thinking about a life that she hadn't let herself dream about just yet.

_What if we did this?_

The sound of the front door opening snapped Rachel out of her trance, causing her to drop her shirt and stand up. Finn stood in the doorway of their room, looking Rachel up and down with worried eyes.

"Rachel, will you please tell me what's wrong now?"

Nodding, Rachel reached behind her and snatched the test off the bed, reaching over and handing it to him tentatively.

She didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until Finn looked at her, his eyes big with wonder. He didn't look scared or panicked- he looked _excited_.

"Babe. Are you saying- Are you….?"

"I don't know yet." Rachel walked up to him, twisting her hands together. "I was waiting for you to get home to take it."

Rachel let a laugh escape at the sight of Finn wildly ripping open the box and thrusting the stick at her.

"Let's find out, then! Here." Finn grabbed the instructions, flipping them around to find the correct language. "Ok, go into the bathroom and you have to pee on the stick for 30 seconds. Then we wait for 3 minutes."

Rachel glanced down at the stick in her hand, the knot returning to her stomach. She looked up as she felt her husband's arms wrap around her.

"I'm here for you, for us, no matter what, ok?" Finn kissed her firmly on the lips, and then placed two more on her nose and forehead. "We're in this together."

Squeezing him one last time, Rachel walked into the bathroom and did what the instructions said.

The waiting wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

"If it's a girl we should name her Isabella. Or Sophia."

Rachel giggled. "Sophia? And what makes you think it'll be a girl?"

Finn wrapped his free arms around his wife, a goofy grin attached to his face. "What? I like that name. And of course it'll be a girl! I want an adorable little brown-haired princess, with a voice just like her mom's."

"No! I want a boy with your dimples!" Smiling against his neck, Rachel let herself feel hopeful for the first time all day. She wasn't worried anymore. This was her and Finn- they could do anything together.

Hearing the alarm on the microwave go off, Finn and Rachel looked at each other and nodded. It was now or never.

Finn picked up the stick first, his free hand grasping her's tightly. For a split second, the world stopped, and Rachel knew in her heart what she wanted it to say.

And just like that, Finn's smile fell from his face. The world started up again with the words "not pregnant" appearing in front of them.

Rachel reached over and hugged her husband, his disappointment vibrating off his body.

"I know baby, I know. But it'll be ok."

Pulling back, Finn reached up and wiped away a tear on her cheek; Rachel didn't even realize she had started to cry.

"It's ok to be sad, baby. I know you were hoping for it, too."

Rachel curled up into his arms again, letting more tears fall down her face.

"I really wanted to be pregnant." She whispered. "I didn't think I did, but I know now I did."

They stayed on the couch for the rest of the afternoon, just holding each other. They talked, cuddled, and mourned the loss of something that wasn't theirs to begin with.

After a while, the couple stood up and headed for the bedroom. Reaching for her hand, Finn smiled down at her, his thumb tracing patterns against her hand.

"So, we sure about this? Is this something we want to do?"

Rachel looked up at him, feeling the love she had for him and for the life they shared warm her heart and make it whole. Nodding, she swiftly got up on her toes to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek. Wrapping her free arm around his neck, she murmured into his ear.

"Let's go make baby."

And that's just what they did.


End file.
